International Students on Transition : Exploring Experiences of First-year Postgraduate Students in Sweden

Sammanfattning

In the era of internationalisation in higher education, Sweden has witnessed a growth in international student mobility over the last decades. Typically, non-traditional destination countries, like Sweden, have attracted international students to pursue a degree in English-medium instruction (EMI) programmes. However, very little is known about the transitions experienced by such students. Accordingly, the present qualitative study explores the transition experiences from a holistic perspective of a diverse population of postgraduate international students (freemovers) enrolled in EMI programmes in Sweden. To this end, this study examines the multiple transitions undergone by these students and the interplay among their backgrounds. Therefore, 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted with first-year master’s students. The participants in the study had diverse personal backgrounds and were enrolled in different programmes. All interviews were conducted approximately five to six months after the students arrived in Sweden for their studies. The study identified five types of transitions, namely academic, social, cultural, everyday life, and habitus transitions. These were found to be interrelated and often overlapping, with participants reporting a range of transitional experiences, both positive and negative. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate notable differences among participants’ experiences, transferability of their embodied cultural capital, barriers to transitions, and coping strategies. These were influenced by a number of factors, including the academic and sociocultural context, personal background, individual traits and expectations, as well as previous experiences and reasons for undertaking studies abroad. Such findings highlight the importance of considering the diversity of international students and their unique needs. However, it is important to note that the study had a small sample size and was limited to a few universities; therefore, the findings should be interpreted with caution.